Torre Grossa – for medieval vertigo

The Palazzo Comunale (also known as Palazzo del Podesta) is the forbidding fortress at the centre of city life since the days when Dante came on an ambassadorial visit from Florence. Ideally, explore both the frescoed town hall (see below) and climb the tower. But if you’re feeling lazy and it’s a perfect, windless day, then you might just like to focus on the climb to the top. Completed in 1311, the town hall tower, the Torre Grossa, is the tallest in the town (at 54 metres/175 feet) and the only one you can climb. If you take it slowly, the metallic staircase is pretty easy to climb, with only the final part providing any difficulty. The views of the Val d’Elsa from the top are spectacular, as is the bird’s eye view of San Gimignano itself.


Address: Piazza del Duomo,
San Gimignano
Tel: 0577 286300
Web: www.sangimignanomusei.it